The Doctor Directory

Ready to try a new type of provider, but unsure where to start? This guide can help you choose a healing system that’s right for you.

- Maggie Puniewska

WHEN YOU FEEL unwell, you probably make an appointment with your GP, who likely prescribes a pill to help you get better. But these days, there’s a roster of other docs who are taking alternative, more holistic approaches. And instead of medication, they’re recommending treatments with herbs, meditation, and acupuncture.

“Conventional medicine has taught doctors how to put out the fire,” says Alka Gupta, MD, a codirector of the Integrative Health and Wellbeing Program at New York-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine. “But they often don’t get to the bottom of why that fire started in the first place. Holistic approaches try to find the root cause of symptoms, by looking at the whole person.”

Choosing a holistic-minded provider isn’t always simple, however. The terminology used can be, well, muddy. Some can serve as your primary physician, while others practice a more complementary brand of medicine (and should be seen in addition to your MD). The options get confusing, which is why we put together this list of practitioners. Read on to learn what they do and how to ensure you get the best care.

Doctor of Osteopathy